Adjustable float mechanism for bottle fillers



May 12,- 1936. J. KANTOR ADJUSTABLE FLOAT MECHANISM FOR BOTTLE FILLERS Filed March 25,- 1952 Il m INVNTOR. Jaime@ Hanzor,

' vlybw ATTORNEYS Patented" May 12, 1936 UNITED STATES 'ADJUSTABLE FLOAT MECHANISM FOR BOTTLE FILLERS YJames 'Kanton Chicago, Ill., assigner 4to The Liquid Carbonio .Cor

poration, Chicago, Ill., a

*2 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in bottle filling machines and particularly to that'type of filling machine used forlling bottles with carbonated beverages.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide means whereby the level of the water in the ller tank may be varied in accordance with the operators desires from the exterior of the tank.

In certain types of bottle llingmachines the carbonated water to besupplied to the bottles is delivered to a filling tank, from which it passes through the filling valves to the bottles to be filled. The supply of this water is automatically controlled by the liquid level in the tank, through the medium of a float controlled'valve. Theflow of liquid through the lling valve, that is the rate of flow, and to a certain extent the quantity may be determined by the liquid level in the lling tank, or by the head of the waterand by regulating this liquid level, or head, theliquid flow to the bottle may be so controlled as to permit the liquid to flow into the bottle at the most satisfactory rate to ll the bottle and at the same time prevent foaming of the liquid in the bottle due to too rapid passage Yof* the liquid thereto.

It is desirable, of course, to provide means whereby this liquid level may be varied from the exterior of the ller tank.

It is one of the objects ofthe present invention to provide a filling machine with an improved form of means forcontrolling the Yliquid level in the tank which means is operable'from the exterior of the tank.

For the-purpose of disclosingmy'invention I have illustrated one embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a partial sectional view of so much of a bottle lling machine as is necessary to disclose my present invention;

Fig. 2 is4 a detailed sectional view showing the means for controlling the now of liquid into the tank and means for adjusting the float level of the valve controlling float.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, I have shown a bottle filling machine having the usual liquid tank I provided with the filling valve 2 adapted to be operated by the raising of the bottle in 'contact with the filling valve as the filling valves, together with the other parts of the machine, rotate. A liquid is supplied to the tank through a supply pipe 3 connected with a suitable source of carbonated water as for instance a carbonator 4, and the control of the passage of liquid into the tank I is controlled by the counter-balancing pressure within the tank. 'Ihis pressure is portion, 9, beingheld .in `position by suitable bolts Y(not shown) clamping thetwo parts together. A

relatively small diaphragm I2 isdisposed between the body portion 9 and the coverl Il,.being clamped 'between these parts, which Yin turn .are -clamped together by Vsuitablebolts Vor. screws.

A yoke member I3 extends between the two diaphragms, having a boss I4 atits ltop onfwhich is. adapted to be screwed a clamping nut I5 engag- Winga clamping plate I6 above the diaphragm I2.

A similar boss I'I extends through thevdiaphragm-j ;II and has secured thereon a fasteningnut I8 Vwhich maintains in position aclamping plate `I 9 for the bottom diaphragm. A guide pin 20 eX- tends upwardlyfrom the boss I4 through the casing-or cover, and the cover I0 is provided with one or more openings 2| toY permit atmospheri'cqpressure intothe chamber formed between the diaphragm and the top cover I 0. Y

A pressure inlet member or nipple 22 extends `into the casing 9 or intofthefbody portion 9and lhas connected theretothe gas supplypipe '23,

' which in turn isconnected to the top of the'carbonator 4. An outwardly opening check valve 24 controls the delivery opening of the port v25 extending through the nipple 22 and this Valveis controlled by the diaphragm V-I I, being-adapted tolbe'contacted by a projection26 of'the yoke I3.

This vport 25 delivers into a chamber formed Ybetween the diaphragms II and I2, whichv cham- `ber communicates by means Vof -a`delivery-open "ing 2l with a stem'ZB, the lower-endpfwhich communicates with the top of the lling tank I. The chamber 29 formed beneath the diaphragm I I communicates with the port or delivery opening 21 through an opening 3U, which opening is controlled by a valve 3| mounted on the top'of the stem 32 of the float 6. This stem 32 extends through the hollow stem 28 and as the delivery opening 2l communicates through the stem 28 with the top of the ller tank, it is obvious that the chamber 29 beneath the diaphragm I I also communicates with the top of the ller tank. This chamber 29 also communicates with the atmosphere through a snifter opening 33, the size of which is controlled by the adjustable valve 34.

' equivalent to the of the filler tank I,

The neck or stem 28 extends through the top which tank has extending upwardly therefrom a surrounding hollow stem adapted to receive a packing gland 36. The lower end of this neck or stem 28 is provided with a threaded sleeve 31, clamped in position between a shoulder 38 on the stem 28 and a clamping nut 39 on the lower end of the stem 28. This sleeve is provided with a tongue 31 operating in a slot Z'I'I` in the stem 35 to prevent the sleeve from rotating. The sleeve 31 threads through a rotat- Y able nut 40 supported between a spider 4 I and the underside of the casing of the tank, which nut on its outer periphery is-.provided with a beveled gear42 adapted to mesh with a beveled gear 43 on the end of a rotatable spindle 44 extendingthrough the casing of the filling tank I and provided with a rotating hand wheel 45. By this arrangement the height of the float 6 may be adjusted from the exterior of the filler tank,

fzasit will be obvious that by rotating the hand lwheel 45, the nut 40 will be rotated thereby,

, of the filler tank thereby admitting gas from the iiller tank to the chamber 29 from wherein Vitleaks or bleeds tothe atmosphere through the portY 33. Pressure from the tank exists in the space between the diaphragms I I and I2 and this pressureacting on the'diaphragm I2, together with the pressure in the chamber 29, although reduced; raises the yoke I3 closing the valve 24 `to prevent additional pressure from the carbonator entering the tank. The reduction of the pressure in the tank, due to the bleeding of 1 the valve 33, as well as the lowering of the water Ylevelby the drawing oi of the water reduces the Y pressure of the gas above the water in the tank If to a point VWhere it is lower than the water supply pressure, thereby permitting water vto flow'into the tank through the supply pipe 3. The water continues to flow into the tank until the oat 6 Vhas raised sufficiently to close the port 30, thus preventing further escape of gas from the Vtank and into the chamber 29. This chamber, however, being opened through the port 33 to atmosphere permits the escape of the gas in the chamberl until the pressure in the chamber is below the pressure of the gas between the diaphragmsl II and. I2 so thatl the pressure on the underside of the diaphragm II is lower than the pressure on the upper side of the diaphragm II and with the pressure on the upper side of the diaphragm Il predominating the diaphragm will be deflected downwardly permitting the valve 24 to open, admitting gas under pressure from the carbonator until the pressure in the tank above the liquid is equivalent to the liquid supply pressure, thus stopping the ow of liquid into the. Y

tank.

It is obvious that by varying the height of,A

the float in the tankfthe height of the liquid level may be varied to any degree desired. And in order to vary this height from the exterior of the tank I it is merely necessary to rotate the hand Wheel 45 in the direction whereby the entire valve mechanism, including the float will be raised or lowered to the desired point. The connecting pipe 23 extending from the carbonator has sufficient flexibility to permit this adjustment without disturbing the connections. The'rate of flow from the tank through the bottle filling valve is determined by the head pressure of the water and by adjusting the level of the float to thereby adjust the liquid level in the tank. Thin head flow may be so adjusted as to cause the flow of water into the bottle to coincide with Vthe movement of the bottle during the filling operation so that,

the bottle will be filled at the exact point .in its movement at about the time it is to be Withdrawn from the ller valve and thisY return of flow may y be so determined as to admit the liquid to the bottle at such a rate as to prevent foaming in the bottle.

I claim the following:

l. In a bottle filling mechanism, the combination with a filling tank, of a Valve for controlling the admission of pressure to said tank to control the admission of uid thereto, including a hollow stem member extending through and into said tank, a iioat` within said tank operatively and mechanically connected to said valve, a nut mounted against vertical movement on said tank and engaging a threaded portion of said stem member and means, for rotating said nut to Vertically adjust said valve and float. A,

2. In a` bottle filling mechanism, the combination with allling tank, of a Valve for ,controlling the admission of pressure to said tank to control the admission of fluid thereto, including a hollow stem member extending through and into said tank, a float within said tank operatively and mechanically connected to said valve, a nut within said tank mounted against vertical movement relative to the tank and engaging a threaded portion on said stem member and means extending to the exterior of said tank for rotating said nut to vertically adjust said valve and oat.

l JAMES KANTOR. 

